If I Only Had Christmas

The film begins in Kansas City, where publicist Darcy Gale loses a prestigious industry award but remains optimistic. Seeing a negative article about the reclusive CEO of Austin, Inc., William Austin, she pitches a human-interest campaign focused on his charity, the Emerald Educational Trust. William, intrigued by her pitch but wanting to remain anonymous, invites her to Connecticut to work for the charity under the supervision of 'Glen Goodman,' who is actually William in disguise. Upon arrival, Darcy meets William at a hotel bar and, not knowing his identity, describes the man she is supposed to meet as 'curmudgeonly' and a 'no guy.' As they begin working at the charity, Darcy clashes with the pragmatic staff, including Dr. Bridget Tinsley and Jackie Crowe, who are protective of their students and wary of flashy PR. Darcy eventually wins them over by creating a 'Christmas Maze' at a local tree farm and organizing a 'Santa’s Secret Classroom Helpers' drive. Throughout the process, Darcy and 'Glen' bond over their pasts; William reveals he was an at-risk student who was adopted at age ten, while Darcy shares the loss of her mother and her deep roots in Kansas City. The conflict escalates when the charity's pageant venue is double-booked. Darcy suggests merging the pageant with the annual donor gala, forcing the wealthy donors to see the charity's impact firsthand. Meanwhile, Austin, Inc. CFO Winona West remains skeptical of Darcy and pushes for a rival PR firm. At the gala, Darcy overcomes her own fears to perform a dance number with the children to support the shy arts director, Riley. Following a moving speech, William finally reveals his true identity to the crowd, including Darcy. Feeling betrayed and manipulated by his 'game,' Darcy rejects the job offer and returns to Kansas City. Back home, Darcy realizes she has 'planted' herself in Kansas City out of fear of the unknown. Her friends and the charity staff encourage her to forgive William. William travels to Kansas City on Christmas Eve, apologizing for the deception and explaining that he hid his identity to be seen for himself rather than his father's legacy. He reveals he is opening a second headquarters in Kansas City so they can be together, and Darcy accepts a position as his VP of Communications, finally finding a way to balance her roots with her professional ambitions.